Charging/discharging system

• US 9,685,800 B2
• Filed: 02/13/2013
• Issued: 06/20/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Inventors: Shinomoto, Yosuke, Hatakeyama, Kazunori, Yamakawa, Takashi
• Primary Examiner(s): PELTON, NATHANIEL R
• Application Number:
  US14/416,106
• Publication Number:
  US 20150288201A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,588 Days
• Field of Search: 320107, 320109
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/10 DC to DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/30 AC to DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/40 DC to AC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/80 Time limits
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/003 relating to inverters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0069 relating to the isolation, e.g. ground fault or leak current
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/04 Cutting off the power supply under fault conditions protective devices and circuit arrangements in general H01H; H02H
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/16 Connectors, e.g. plugs or sockets, specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/18 Cables specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/22 Constructional details or arrangements of charging converters specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/31 Charging columns specially adapted for electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/62 in response to charging parameters, e.g. current, voltage or electrical charge
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/63 in response to network capacity
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/65 involving identification of vehicles or their battery types
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 55/00 Arrangements for supplying energy stored within a vehicle to a power network, i.e. vehicle-to-grid [V2G] arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/15 Preventing overcharging
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/44 Methods for charging or discharging circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2207/20 Charging or discharging characterised by the power electronics converter
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/48 for electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0029 with safety or protection devices or circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00304 : Overcurrent protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00308 : Overvoltage protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0031 : using battery or load disconnect circuits H02J9/002 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/02 : for charging batteries from ac mains by converters
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/00 : Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 : Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 : Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 : Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 : Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/92 : Energy efficient charging or discharging systems for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors specially adapted for vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 : Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 : Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 : Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/167 : Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for supporting the interoperability of electric or hybrid vehicles, i.e. smartgrids as interface for battery charging of electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/126 : the energy generation units being or involving electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV], i.e. power aggregation of EV or HEV, vehicle to grid arrangements [V2G]
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 30/14 : Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing

Abstract

A charging/discharging device includes a charging/discharging connector that electrically connects a storage battery and the charging/discharging device, a cable that is connected to the charging/discharging connector at one end and is connected to the charging/discharging device at the other end, a power conversion unit, a control unit that controls an operation of the power conversion unit, and an abnormality detection unit that outputs an abnormality detection signal for stopping an operation of the power conversion unit to at least any of the control unit and the power conversion unit, when an output from a comparator and an ON signal from the control unit are input to an AND circuit.

Claims

1. A charging/discharging system that is interposed between a system power supply and a storage battery and performs charging/discharging of the storage battery, the charging/discharging system comprising:

a charging/discharging that is adapted to electrically connect to the system power supply;

a charging/discharging connector that is adapted to electrically connect the storage battery and the charging/discharging device and includes

a lock mechanism that is adapted to maintain a mechanical connection state;

a solenoid that operates the lock mechanism; and

a switch that interlocks with the lock mechanism; and

a charging/discharging cable that is connected to the charging/discharging connector at one end;

the charging/discharging device comprising;

a power conversion unit that operates as an AC/DC converter when AC power is input, and operates as a DC/AC converter when DC power from the storage battery is input;

a control unit that controls an operation of the power conversion unit; and

an abnormality detection unit that feeds power to the solenoid in response to a signal that is output from the control unit and does not output an abnormality detection signal when the signal is not output from the control unit.

2. The charging/discharging system according to claim 1, wherein the abnormality detection unit outputs the abnormality detection signal only to the control unit.

3. The charging/discharging system according to claim 1, wherein the abnormality detection unit outputs the abnormality detection signal only to the power conversion unit.

4. The charging/discharging system according to claim 1, wherein the abnormality detection unit outputs the abnormality detection signal to the control unit and the power conversion unit.

5. The charging/discharging system according to claim 1, wherein

the abnormality detection unit includes

a first abnormality detection element that outputs a first abnormality detection signal on a basis of the signal that is output from the control unit and the signal output from the switch that interlocks with the lock mechanism,

a second abnormality detection element that outputs a second abnormality detection signal when an abnormality other than an abnormality detected by the first abnormality detection element has been detected, and

an OR circuit that outputs the first abnormality detection signal from the first abnormality detection element or the second abnormality detection signal from the second abnormality detection element as the abnormality detection signal.

6. The charging/discharging system according to claim 5, wherein the first abnormality detection unit further comprises:

an AND gate configured to generate the first abnormality detection signal based on the signal that is output from the control unit and a signal indicative of a connector disconnection at the charging/discharging connector.

7. The charging/discharging system according to claim 5, wherein

the first abnormality detection signal is indicative of a connector disconnection at the charging/discharging connector, and

the second abnormality detection signal is indicative of an abnormality other than a disconnection at the charging/discharging connector.

8. The charging/discharging system according to claim 1, wherein the abnormality detection unit outputs the abnormality detection signal on a basis of the signal that is output from the switch and the signal that is output from the control unit.

9. The charging/discharging system according to claim 1, wherein the abnormality detection unit outputs the abnormality detection signal to at least any of the first and second control unit and the power conversion unit.

10. The charging/discharging system according to claim 1, wherein the abnormality detection signal is indicative of an abnormality in the charging/discharging connector.

11. The charging/discharging system according to claim 1, wherein the abnormality detection unit further comprises:

an AND gate configured to generate the abnormality detection signal based on the signal that is output from the control unit and a signal indicative of a connector disconnection at the charging/discharging connector.

12. The charging/discharging system according to claim 1, wherein the abnormality detection unit further comprises:

a disconnection detection element that outputs a first abnormality detection signal on a basis of the signal that is output from any of the first and second control units and the signal output from the switch that interlocks with the lock mechanism; and

an abnormality detection element that outputs a second abnormality detection signal when an abnormality other than an abnormality detected by the first abnormality detection element has been detected.

13. The charging/discharging system according to claim 1, wherein the abnormality detection unit is not located on a vehicle.

14. A charging/discharging system that is interposed between a system power supply and a storage battery and performs charging/discharging of the storage battery, the charging/discharging system comprising:

a charging/discharging device that is adapted to electrically connect to the system power supply;

a charging/discharging connector that is adapted to electrically connect the storage battery and the charging/discharging device and includes

a lock mechanism that is adapted to maintain a mechanical connection state;

a solenoid that operates the lock mechanism; and

a switch that interlocks with the lock mechanism; and

a charging/discharging cable that is connected to the charging/discharging connector at one end;

the charging/discharging device comprising;

a first power conversion unit that operates as an AC/DC converter when AC power is input, and operates as a DC/AC converter when DC power is input;

a second power conversion unit that converts DC power from the first power conversion unit to DC power of a desired value and converts DC power from the storage battery to DC power of a desired value;

a first control unit that controls an operation of the first power conversion unit;

a second control unit that controls an operation of the second power conversion unit; and

an abnormality detection unit that feeds power to the solenoid in response to a signal that is output from any of the first and second control units and does not output an abnormality detection signal when the signal is not output from any of the first and second control units.

15. The charging/discharging system according to claim 14, wherein the abnormality detection unit outputs the abnormality detection signal only to each of the first and second control units.

16. The charging/discharging system according to claim 14, wherein the abnormality detection unit outputs the abnormality detection signal only to each of the power conversion units.

17. The charging/discharging system according to claim 14, wherein the abnormality detection unit outputs the abnormality detection signal to each of the first and second control units and each of the power conversion units.

18. The charging/discharging system according to claim 14, wherein

the abnormality detection unit includes

a first abnormality detection element that outputs a first abnormality detection signal on a basis of the signal that is output from any of the first and second control units and the signal output from the switch that interlocks with the lock mechanism,

a second abnormality detection element that outputs a second abnormality detection signal when an abnormality other than an abnormality detected by the first abnormality detection element has been detected, and

an OR circuit that outputs the first abnormality detection signal from the first abnormality detection element or the second abnormality detection signal from the second abnormality detection element as the abnormality detection signal.

19. The charging/discharging system according to claim 14, wherein the abnormality detection unit outputs the abnormality detection signal on a basis of the signal that is output from the switch and the signal that is output from any of the first and second control units.

20. The charging/discharging system according to claim 14, wherein the abnormality detection unit outputs the abnormality detection signal to at least any of the first and second control units and the power conversion units.